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Topic: G'day from Tasmania (Read 864 times)

I just got into BK by catching my first swarm, which was a big deal for me as I had a bit of a fobia since being stung when I was a kid, but, you know what they say ... it's all in the mind! The swarm had made its new home in my backhoe arm. Luckily, I found them before they could make themselves comfortable and I sprayed a small puff of 'Aerostart' (an ether spray, used to start stubborn engines) into the arm, and fled the scene. Around 10 mins later they swarmed out and onto the outter foliage of a Blackwood tree, only 10 feet off the ground. Anyhoo, the next day, after being stung 5 times in the first attempt from not spraying enough syrup on them, they settled down for the second attempt. I never knew it could be that easy! I think one other reason for their aggression may have been that they had started to build comb. And yes, I know, no pics = it never happened, right? Well, the wife was holding the branch with a hooked pole and I was holding the bees on the ladder, and so, where were you when I needed a photographer???

"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may remember,involve me and I'll understand" Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways." John F. KennedyFranklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Hi Jim 134, Yes, we do have Taz here, although, we don't encourage him to come onto our property. We do this by throwing what spoilt meat we have, into the forest opposite. Although, usually on our place you can see their scats on the ground if you look hard enough. Friends down the road have to continually clear them from under their house, as it sends their hound mental and they make a real rukus anyhow. The joys of living in paradise. :-D